News
What it means to be a member of the FFA
Being a Future Farmer of America back in 1928 when FFA was founded meant at least four things for sure. It meant that everyone in the chapter was male, there were no African Americans, everyone lived on a farm, and the classes being taught consisted of Ag 1, 2, 3, and 4. In fact, it was this way for many years. As these 86 years have progressed, things have changed, but one of the biggest changes only took place within the past 26 years.
Two-hour late start for VS schools Tuesday
Due to the amount of snow we received over the last 24 hours, we are going to do a 2-hour late start on Tuesday, Feb 18. There will be no morning PK and the busses will be running on hard surface routes only.
We hope you enjoyed your snow day and were able to spend some time playing in the snow. See you all at school tomorrow kids!
Snow cancels class again for VS today; end date now May 30
Yeah, it's another one of those days.
The Vinton-Shellsburg "make up day" has turned into a a "Snow Day." The school announced early today that there would not be classes. So many days have been missed that the make-up days have been filled and future cancelations will lengthen the school year, which grew by one day already. First grade students learn about living things at high school Ag Room/Greenhouse
Tilford first graders, with the help of the VSHS Ag Dept. students and Benton County Naturalist Karen Phelps, made terrariums in the VSHS Greenhouse on Thursday, Feb. 13. This was a culminating activity for the first graders Living Things science unit.
See more photos HERE.
Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management offers many benefits
By Benton County IRVM Manager Ben Bonar
The tallgrass prairie once covered more than 170 million acres of the United States. Stretching from Indiana to Kansas and Canada to Texas, this sea of grass, sedge and forb species created an intricate ecosystem that dominated the Midwest for roughly 8,000 years. Between 1830 and 1900 the prairie underwent one of the most drastic land transformations in human history. In Depth: 'Nut Job' brings animated squirrels back to Palace screen
We’re going completely NUTS at the Palace this week, and not because of the weather! “The Nut Job” plays Friday, February 14 through Thursday, February 20 at 7 pm, and Monday, February 17 at 2 pm.
The animated antics in this 3D adventure of city squirrels and impending shortage of nuts, expertly voiced by Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Brendan Fraser, and Katherine Heigl, will have your own little rodents rolling in the aisles, along with their popcorn and Skittles! A witty and mischievous Valentine treat for the whole family.
New Mini-Masters site: Benton County Volunteer Program
One of the first-time participants in this year's Vinton Unlimited Mini-Masters event is the Benton County Volunteer Program office at 303 First Avenue in Vinton (in the Sherman Building across from the courthouse).
The course is simple: Putting from the door to a dustpan in the corner, with obstacles representing the tools used by volunteers in helping others. Snow driving's no fun...
The moderate snowfall caused some travel issues for drivers in the Vinton area today. A car ended up in the ditch across from Theisen's on Highway 218 in Vinton.
Also, Benton County Secondary Roads Dept. driver Don Burkey posted a photo of his maintainer after it slid off a gravel road near Garrison. Burkey had been a long-time mechanic before beginning his driving duties last week. 'Ice' meth case leads to federal prison term for Benton County man
A man who sold “ice” methamphetamine from his rural Benton County home was sentenced on January 30, 2014 to just under four years in federal prison.
Kenneth Gragg, 54, from Garrison, received the prison term after a December 2, 2013 guilty plea to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm as an unlawful drug user. Tourism in Vinton, Iowa?
It is a privilege serving on the Vinton Unlimited Board and I am now entering my second year. One of my passions has been to work on tourism for Vinton. Some of you may be thinking right now, “Tourism? Why in the world would anyone travel to Vinton? What in the heck is there to see or do here?”
Well my friends, if you stop me at the bank or on the street and ask me those questions, you may hear an answer like this:
”One of my responsibilities at Farmers Savings Bank & Trust as Heritage Club Director is to design day trips in Iowa for our HC members.